The Smoke in Albert’s Garden

Hattie is puzzled by the smoke coming from the empty house next door, and even more surprised when she find a runaway boy living there. Otto has run away because he is tired of living as a child prodigy – having to prqctise music and never able to eat all the things he likes. Instead, he’s decided to have a holiday. Hattie is thrilled to have a real secret to keep, but it leads to a lot of complications. It’s a fun story with likeable characters.

Originally published in 1974, this edition was printed in 1977. I’ve included the first two pages of the book so you can see the writing style. I remember really enjoying this as a child.